By ALSION CONNOLLY
If there’s any lingerie designer that understands the value of pulling out all the stops for a seasonal campaign, it’s Chantal Thomass! For as long as I can recall (perhaps the last 10 years?), the eponymous French lingerie brand has teamed with the incomparable Ellen von Unwerth to create its editorial campaigns. Each year, new collections are presented in full glamour with often coquettish, whimsical images. In fact, most years, the models sport the signature Chantal Thomass square-cut blunt hairstyle and crimson lips (which is only seen in the product shots this year, as you will see in the one example I included at the end of this post).
This season, for Spring/Summer 2017, we see a collection of images that are reminiscent of a fairy tale. In fact, as you visit the designer’s website you are greeted with the line “Once upon a time, in the kingdom of delight…”. There are stylistic references to Alice in Wonderland and The Princess and the Pea in these photos, once again captured by Ellen von Unwerth (modeled by Nataliya Bulycheva). Many of the classic shapes we have seen in previous seasons are reinvented here in new colors and include surprising new details. Of course, there are also many new shapes and completely new details that make this season wonderfully fresh too.
On a personal note, I had the pleasure of meeting with Chantal Thomass when I visited the Salon International de la Lingerie (she knew who I was, thanks to a conversation she had with Dita von Teese…I loved hearing that!). Without question, she embodies the spirit of her brand and the essence of Parisian chic. Since 1975 she has been creating bold, indulgent lingerie that still reigns as the example of what glamorous lingerie can and should be. I look forward to many more years of seeing her artistic vision evolve (as she has so beautifully over the years) and for her brand to continue to inspire!
Photographer: Ellen VON UNWERTH
Stylist: Lara CVIKLINSKI
Hair Stylist: Alexandry COSTA
Make-Up Artist: Alice GHENDRIH
Model: Nataliya BULYCHEVA
Props: Marcel VAN DOORN
